


Election Night

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode: s07e16 Election Day Part I, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-01
Updated: 2006-08-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 03:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15110933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: Except for the raging headaches, shortness of breath, and slight chest pains.  He hadn't told anyone about that, not even Donna.  Sitting out there with Hogan he felt just fine.





	Election Night

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: This is how it would have happened in my universe, which everyone should know by now is a bit turned to the left, shaken up, and rolled over to suit my own needs. This one is for all the people who have been kind enough to tell me they like this coupling. Thank you.  


* * *

Josh opened the door and looked at her standing on the balcony. It was cold but in black slacks and a pearl colored blouse, she did not seem to feel it. The smoke from her cigarette circled her head like a halo. He cleared his throat, closing the door and moving closer to her. Hogan Cregg turned wearing a smile.

“Aren't you cold? I brought you a beer.”

“Thanks.” She reached for it and their fingers touched. “It is a clear night…you can see everything from here.”

She turned back to the night and Josh looked too. Washington, DC was a beautiful place, especially on a night like this. Josh got another man elected President and took his mentor to a once unthought-of level of power. Tonight was a night for celebration.

“Its nice.” He leaned a bit on the railing but thought twice when cold shivers ran through him. He sat on one of the benches instead, watching Hogan light another cigarette.

“Nice? It’s absolutely amazing. All the lights off the Potomac, the Washington Monument…it’s fantastic. It makes me proud to live here tonight.” She turned to look at him. “A good night for you, huh sailor?”

“Yeah. I don’t know; it was a bit surreal too. All the hard work, polling, traveling, interviews; I'm really stressed out. So even though I should be celebrating all I want is a few days of solitude.”

“What would you do with a few days?” she sat beside him. “Do you even know how to stop?”

“I would sleep. I can't think of anything else right now.”

“Because there is nothing else.” Hogan said. “You thrive on stress, sleep deprivation, and a constant flurry of activity. It’s your drug.”

“You're right. How did CJ seem tonight?”

“Subdued, tired. It has been a hard few months. My grandfather is not well.”

“I didn’t know.” Josh took a long sip of beer. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Hey, what are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be in there doing a victory lap, an encore, and a curtain call?”

“Is that how you see me Hogan?”

“You got another man elected President. Even if I didn’t, today would be OK.”

“Thanks. I'm tired; but I'm running on the inside.”

“Why don’t you just go home Lyman? The idea of sleeping in your own bed must be heaven.”

It really was. The whole experience seemed to Josh like a blur of hotels, speeches, beers and late nights. Not to mention three or four bad decisions. Even though they were working until the polls closed at eight, Josh hardly recalled what happened today. Except for the raging headaches, shortness of breath and slight chest pains. He hadn't told anyone about that, not even Donna. Sitting out there with Hogan he felt just fine.

“I can't believe you don’t feel cold out here. It’s like the Polar Express.” He shivered. “C’mon, let’s go inside and warm up.”

“I think I am going to call it a night. This was a terrific night for Aunt CJ and Uncle Leo, but I'm going to go.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “Congratulations Joshua. Good job.”

She went to get up but Josh kept hold of her hand. She looked at him.

“I don’t want you to go.” He said. “Right now you are the only person in the world I don’t have to be on for. Not that that’s your fault and it is certainly not your place…”

“Come with me.” She said, cutting him off.

“Excuse me?”

“Come with me.” She repeated, smiling. “Its crazy in there…no one will notice. We’ll go back through the bedroom and sneak out.”

“Where are we going?” Josh asked. They were walking to the other side of the balcony and it was not lost on him that they still held hands.

“I don’t know but the night is young. There is the Cosi on 17th and Potomac, or we can hit one of the Georgetown bars. Whatever you want Lyman; this is your night.”

“I want to go home.” 

“Is there coffee there?” they tiptoed through the bedroom and Hogan grabbed her coat. Josh didn’t know where his was. It didn’t matter; someone would find it for him in the morning.

“Yeah. I may even have cookies.”

“Ooh, cookies? Your place it is.”

They snuck out of the room, down the hall and onto the elevator. Once the doors were closed, she let go of his hand.

“Are you still at Vassar?” Josh asked.

They were off the elevator, heading quickly for an exit. Josh was tempted to turn off his phone, complete the ritual of wanting to be alone but he could not make himself do it. He hoped they got out before anyone stopped him. There was still a flurry of activity in the lobby.

“Officially I will get my degree on December 17th. I had to finish my internship first. 10 weeks at the National Archives.”

“Wow, party all the time.” He stuck his hand out to hail a cab. “What are your grades like?”

“I'm going to graduate magna cum laude. How were your grades?”

“Summa.” His tone was smug.

“Why does that not surprise me? Joshua Lyman, classic overachiever. Some may say you do so to make up for other areas where you lack.”

“Ouch. Let’s not have that conversation please.”

“OK.”

The cab ride to his condo was quiet. Josh paid the driver, held the door for her, and they walked up the steps. He pushed in the pass code.

“This is nice Lyman.” Hogan said walking into the foyer.

“Make yourself comfortable.” He said, stopping to look at his mail and wrap his mind around the fact that she was in his apartment. “There is TV, satellite radio, anything you want. I left all the remotes on the coffee table. At least I think I did.”

Hogan laughed, bending over to unzip her boots and kick them off. Josh looked after her before going to the kitchen.

“Hey, I have cappuccino…is that good?”

“Excellent.”

Hogan went to the mantle, started looking over his pictures. She was relieved there was none of Donna in the sterling silver frames. There was a young girl wearing a happy smile; that one looked to be old. Hogan figured one of the photos had to be his parents on their wedding day. Then there was a photo of the Senior Staff, taking outside the Bartlet for America campaign bus. The last one was of him and Sam on Sam’s graduation day. Hogan took hold of the picture booth photo taped to the side as Josh came out with two cups of coffee.

“I feel like we should sit and have conversations about waiters named Jean Luc.” He said, giggling at his own joke.

“How long have you two known each other?” she joined him on the couch still holding the photo.

“Too long. We met on the Senate floor, summer of, hell I don’t even remember. Sam was a sophomore at Princeton and I was a second year law student. Every summer after that we were slaving one way or another on the Hill. When I graduated Yale and moved here permanently, Sam stayed with me every summer. God, we had some good times.”

“He really is your best friend, huh?” Hogan sipped her coffee.

Josh took the photo from her hands. They were so young; Josh had a lot more hair. The entire world lay in front of them when this was taken. Not in their wildest dreams did they think they would ever be here.

“Yes. He is one of the few people who got me, warts and all, you know. Until Donna came along. Hey, you want some music or something?”

“Music is fine. Donna gets you?”

Josh turned on the music, flipping around until he found A Flock of Seagulls singing Space Age Love Song.

“I don’t know…not anymore maybe. We don’t need to talk about that. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Everything about you. Do you want to stay here; work in politics?”

“I don’t know. I grew up in Bethesda so a lot of my pals are here. CJ might ask me to stay and do some work with her at the White House, but I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“It is the experience of a lifetime Hogan.” Josh said. “Nothing would beat it on a resume.”

Hogan smiled.

“I have some time to think about it. I don’t know,” she shrugged. “a part of me thinks running is a good idea…New York maybe. Maybe somewhere in New England. One of my sorority sisters cannot stop singing the praises of Providence.”

“Boston is nice. DC is better.”

Hogan smiled again.

“You are probably one of the most biased people I could talk to about this. Is it OK if I smoke?”

“Yeah, you should quit though. Don’t you want to stay close to CJ and Leo?”

“I do, they're family. They are like surrogate parents and other than my sisters and a few close friends, they are all I have.”

“Oh right, aren’t your sisters twins? Mary Kate and Ashley?”

Hogan burst into laughter and the happy sound made Josh’s stomach dance. He wanted to touch her but thought better of it; right now was just perfect.

“Lucinda, Josh. Mary Kate and Lucinda. They just turned 18, seniors at Hampton Day. They just got early acceptance to Penn.”

“You and your sisters are close. That’s good.”

“Very much so. Do you have siblings?”

“Um, no.” Josh shook his head.

“An only child hmm? I didn’t get that vibe from you.”

“My sister died when we were kids. Wanna refill?”

“No.” 

They were quiet for a while and Josh broke it. He was desperate to know what she was thinking.

“You think different of me now?” he asked.

“Why would I do that? But I understand you. Profound loss at an early age…it’s why you can't stop moving.”

“I thought you were a history major, not psychology.”

“I suffer from it too. My mother, she left us when I was ten. She packed her bags in the middle of the night and just left. I haven’t seen her since.”

Josh reached for her hand, twining his fingers in hers. They sat on the couch in silence for a while, not caring how much time or how much of the world went by.

“God, what time is it?” Hogan looked at her watch. “Where did the time go? It’s really late.”

“Is it?”

“The sun will be up in a few hours and reality will be staring us in the face. It is definitely time to stop drinking coffee.” She stood, their hands still connected. “I should get out of here.”

“Stay.”

“Josh…”

“I don’t like the idea of you alone on the street at this hour. I would be compelled to take you home and I don’t like the idea of me alone on the street at this hour. The only logical conclusion is that you stay with me.”

“I don’t have any pajamas.” She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips.

“I have a drawer full of tee shirts, and shorts. Stay Hogan, I…it has been an amazing night. I don’t want it to be over yet.”

“OK. Well, I think I am going to take advantage of what I am sure is a wonderful shower; I have been wearing these clothes too long. You too Lyman. The suit is cute on you but really.”

Josh smiled, sliding his hand out of hers and standing from the couch.

“Do you want me to sleep out here so you will feel more comfortable?” he asked as he gathered the coffee cups and grabbed the ashtray. 

Hogan was already unbuttoning her blouse and Josh watched her walk toward his bedroom.

“No.”

***


End file.
